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What Does the Bible Say

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Twenty-three years ago, Simon was working in the Ministry of Defense in London, England.

One morning on his way to work, he saw some advertisements for the London festival that our team was putting on at the QPR Football Stadium. Simon was curious about God, so he decided to come hear what we had to say.

As he listened to the Good News that night in London, what struck him was the emphasis on taking Scripture seriously. Simon didn’t make a decision for God that night, but he did go home challenged to read His Bible and see for himself what it had to say.

As he read day after day, Simon realized the Bible was, in fact, the inerrant Word of God. He was finally ready to commit his life to Jesus Christ, and his new life began that very day.

Simon is now a pastor of a church in southern England!! His mission is to bring as many people as possible to the Lord.

In Isaiah 55 the Lord says, “My Word will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire.” God uses many different ways to speak to people – His Word is definitely one of those ways.

When we share our faith, we need to remember to challenge people to seek out the truth for themselves in the Bible. Then, trust the Lord with the results.

Finding the Answer

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I met Steve on a recent trip to London, England. He approached me and said, “Mr. Palau, I committed my life to Jesus during your festival to London 23 years ago.” Then Steve told me his story.

Since he didn’t grow up in church, Steve knew very little about God. He began serving in the Royal British Forces in his early 20s. There, he struggled with severe bouts of anxiety and depression, which led him to heavy drinking binges. In Steve’s words, he was one inch away from becoming an alcoholic.

Steve was searching for answers in various religions, when a friend invited him to hear me speak at Wembley Stadium in London. Steve agreed to go. That night he heard the Good News Gospel, and realized what he needed in his life wasn’t religion, but a relationship with Jesus.

When I gave the invitation, Steve made a commitment to follow Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior. Today, Steve is married to a wonderful Christian woman, and they are raising their three sons in the ways of God.

Think about where Steve might be today if his friend hadn’t invited him to our festival. Ephesians 5:15 reminds us: “Be careful how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.”

We need to remember to be intentional about inviting our friends to hear a clear presentation of the Gospel. It may be just what they need to hear

The Missing Link

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Born and raised in London, England, Emma Owen grew up going to church with her family. But even as a young girl, there always seemed to be something missing from her church experience.

Then, in 1984, Emma’s mom brought her to our team’s “Festival to London.” This festival was a 6-week campaign to touch the heart of London for Jesus Christ.

The night Emma, the teenager, and her mom attended, Emma realized what was missing in her life was a relationship with Jesus. So when I asked all those in the stadium how many wanted to make a decision for Christ, Emma jumped up from her seat to make a public declaration.

Emma says that her commitment that night was the foundation of her faith that she built on for years to come. Today, Emma and her husband, with two children, live in Manchester, England where they share the Good News with teenagers in their city: first-class contemporary Christian music and messages.

Think of children you know who attend church, but perhaps don’t know the Lord personally. Pray for them, by name, and when there’s an opportunity, share the way of salvation. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” and that includes children.

Don’t ever assume that just because someone is inside a church, they know the way to Jesus. Many times they are unconsciously waiting for someone to share the missing link with them. That someone could be you!

Relationship with the Church

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In America, and all of the Western Nations, there are thousands of people like my friend whom we call, Junior. He lives in Florida. He’s a businessman. And one day, not long ago, he surrendered to Jesus Christ.

We put him up to tell his story and he began with, “I used to have a relationship with the church but no relationship with Jesus Christ.” You know, that’s the story of millions of people in the West.

So many people have a relationship with the church – 80% of Americans say they belong to a church… New Zealand, Australia, England, Germany, Latin America – many nations, they will all say, “Yes, I believe in the church,” but they have no experience of Jesus Christ.

The Scripture tells us very clearly that when a person opens their heart to Jesus Christ they begin a real relationship, a personal relationship, with Him. It’s not “religion.” This is the mistake so many people make. We’re not talking about religion, we’re talking about a personal relationship with the living God.

The Bible says that “to know God is to know eternal life” and, therefore, when you introduce your friend to believe in Jesus Christ, to give their heart to Him, to obey Him and follow Him, you are helping your friend to change from a relationship with the church to a relationship with Jesus Christ, and that is what eternal life is all about.

Assurance of Salvation

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Years ago I was talking to businessmen in Texas. Some of them were followers of Jesus Christ, and some were still searching. I was telling them about a princess whom I met in England who wanted the assurance of salvation. As I was sharing this story, I noticed one of the businessmen was embarrassed because tears were coming down his cheeks.

Afterward, I went up to him and said, “Hey Jimmy, I noticed that you were crying when I was telling the story of the princess. What was going on?” He said, “I’ve been to church all of my life but I’ve never had the assurance of eternal life, and I’m 65!”

Jimmy was a successful businessman, he had a big insurance company, everybody knew who he was in town, but something was missing. So we got together for lunch and I said, “Jimmy, the most important thing right now is that you personally open your heart to Christ right here. That’s all the assurance you need.” When I explained the salvation message to him, Jimmy bowed his head in the restaurant and received Jesus Christ as Lord.

Do you know that many people are in the same boat as Jimmy? Even someone who looks good and religious on the outside can be struggling on the inside – only God and he knows. It’s up to us to offer them the hope and assurance of eternal life. What a privilege!